With advances in wireless technology, 3G networks are enabling network operators to offer users a wider range of more advanced services while achieving greater network capacity through improved spectral efficiency. These services include not only improved voice calls, but multimedia messaging, and broadband wireless data, all in a mobile environment. The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE), for example, may offer downlink peak rates of at least 100 Mbit/s, 50 Mbit/s in the uplink and RAN (Radio Access Network).
As wireless mobile equipment becomes more data centric, increases in required data rates are outpacing improvements in central processing unit (CPU) clock speeds (and power efficiency at the speeds). The 3GPP standards body continues to develop additional features and capabilities to provide these higher data rates. At the same time, users are demanding smaller and more power efficient designs. The modem footprint and power consumption must not grow in proportion with data rates. Accordingly, an extensible architecture is desired for supporting the 3GPP evolution while meeting the user requirements for efficient design.